Mining conveyor arrangement with easily replaceable parts



Feb. 6, 1968 I A. HAUSCHOPP Y 3, ,7

MINING CONVEYOR ARRANGEMENT WITH EASILY REPLACEABLE'. PARTS Filed Nov. 23, 1965 41am //Aw"c'//0/fi IN VEN TOP la 4 m, 0

United States Patent 3,367,718 MINING CONVEYOR ARRANGEMENT WITH EASILY REPLACEABLE PARTS Alois Hauschopp, Werne, Lippe, Germany, assignor to Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia, Wethmar near Lumen, Westfalia, Germany Filed Nov. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 509,385 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 17, 1964, G 42,297 Claims. (Cl. 299-43) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Longitudinal mining conveyor section arrangement of the type having at one side thereof laterally, in turn, a side wall, a backing plate, spacer means and a cover plate whereby to form a pair of superimposed guide channels along the corresponding side of the conveyor section to accommodate corresponding upper and lower drive cable means attached to a mining machine for conducting such machine back and forth along a mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom, in which the spacer means include a pair of replaceable spacer members each having a spacer element connected thereto to form a corresponding unit therewith and in which said spacer members and spacer elements in the form of such units are correspondingly replaceably positioned at the longitudinal ends of the backing plate adjacent the path of such cable means with each spacer element disposed thereat for abutment with a corresponding longitudinal end of an adjacently disposed conveyor section and at least in part for guiding contact with the corresponding cable means, whereby to permit a worm spacer element and spacer member to be replaced without replacing the backing plate.

The present invention relates to mining conveyor arrangements with easily replaceable parts, and more particularly to improvements in longitudinal mining conveyor section arrangements having drive chain spacer means coupled with conveyor section end abutment means which may be easily replaced without dismantling the entirety of the arrangement and especially without replacing the entirety of the constructional parts heretofore practiced in the case of wear of such parts.

Mining conveyors such as double chain scraper conveyors have enjoyed widespread use, in particular, in coal mining or other mineral extracting operations where they are used generally together with a coal mining or other mineral extracting machine which functions with a cutting or scraping action. Usually, the mineral extracting machine is conducted by means of a drive chain longitudinally back and forth along the mine face being worked so that mineral, such as coal, may be extracted as the mining machine operatively engages the working face of the mineral seam. The drive chain is ordinarily guided longitudinally adjacent the mine face by guide means and these are generally disposed along the mining conveyor, usually along the side of the mining conveyor which is remote from the mine face being worked. The mining machine, in accordance with one method of operation, is disposed on the side of the mining conveyor adjacent the mine face being worked and usually is guided in its desired path in conjunction with the disposition of the mining conveyor. This is achieved by providing guiding means along the conveyor with which means on the minin'g machine cooperate so that the mining machine is normally urged in the proper direction and angular disposition into extractive engagement with the mine face.

'One type of mining machine is a mining planer, and the same is conducted along the side of a mining conveyor such as a double chain scraper conveyor for the extraction of mineral, such as coal, from the mine face, which mineral is then plowed by the planer itself upwardly and rearwardly onto the conveyor whereupon the mineral is removed from the site of mining operation (see US. Patent 2,702,697, dated February 2, 1955 to Lobbe).

Another type of mining machine is known as a keel or sword plate mining planer, which is guided not only along the side of the mining conveyor adjacent the mine face, but also along the under-side of the conveyor due to the fact that such keel extends transversely rearwardly from the mine face side of the conveyor toward the side of the conveyor remote from such mine face. The mining planer is conducted by a drive chain either on the side of the conveyor adjacent the mine face or on the side of the conveyor remote from the mine face (see US. Patent 2,795,407, dated June 11, 1957 to Bobersen).

The mining conveyors are normally employed in the form of individual mining conveyor sections which are articulatedly interconnected to one another so as to form a mining conveyor which may be displaced in different directions in dependence upon the unevenness in the mine floor and the changes in longitudinal disposition of the mine face and of the mining machine path adjacent thereto which is provided by the guiding means portion of the mining conveyor construction (see U.S. Patent 2,943,728, dated July 5, 1960 to Dommann). Because of the articulated manner of connection of the individual mining conveyor sections to one another, and in view of the compressive forces exerted on the abutting ends therebetween, not only by reason of the angular movement of one conveyor section with respect to the next, but also by reason of the forces exerted there by the drive chain for the mining machine, the end portions of the individual conveyor sections may undergo excessive wear and tear. As this occurs, the mining conveyor sections must be replaced or repaired in their entirety or in terms of certain parts indigenous thereto. This requires increased expenses in time, labor, materials and capital. Attempts to offset these disadvantages by using constructional materials which are more durable, such as high-grade steel, increases the overall capital outlay which offsets any advantage in long use before replacement or repair.

In this connection, the drive chain for the mining machine, for example, a mining planer or motor-driven vibrator or rotary machine or the like, is arranged along the mining conveyor, as aforesaid, in cooperation with the guiding means on the conveyor for the mining machine to achieve the back-and-forth movement of the mining machine in extractive engagement with the mine face. This is usually accomplished by an endless drive chain having its end loops disposed over properly positioned drive drums, sprocket wheels or the like, so that by rotating such drums or wheels the chain will travel in one direction or the other and, in turn, the mining machine attached to the chain will be conducted thereby along the guide means of the conveyor in the desired manner. In order to place the mining machine in the closest urging position with respect to the mine face, means may be used to force intermittently or continuously the mining conveyor and, in turn, the guide means for the mining machine toward the mine face. This may be accomplished by providing hydraulic piston cylinder means, for example, attached to the remote side of the conveyor so as to force the conveyor transversely toward the mine face, in turn, forcing the mining machine mounted on the guide means of the conveyor into the desired extractive engagement.

However, because of the presence of the drive chain along the extent of the conveyor sections and because of the forces exerted by the drive drums or wheels on the drive chain, and because of the counter forces met by the mining machine in the mine face itself, together with the forces of the chain strands of the means used for the actual conveying of the mineral on the conveyor, forces are exerted on the abutting ends of the individual conveyor sections and excessive friction and wear occur at such abutting ends of the conveyor sections which render necessary the replacement of the adjacent parts of the conveyor sections. The problem is acute in the case of a keel-type mining planer, especially where the drive chain therefor is on the remote side of the conveyor such that the same is connected to the mining planer at the free end portion of the keel. In this instance, the planer rides along guide means on the side of the conveyor adjacent the mine face while the keel underlies the conveyor so that the free end thereof will extend to the remote side of the conveyor for connection with the drive chain conducted therealong. By reason of the weight of the conveyor, especially where mineral is deposited thereon, the keel is maintained in proper alignment and prevents divergence of the mining machine from its desired path of travel. Yet, because of the articulated connection between the individual conveyor sections and the excessive friction and wear occurring at the abutting ends of the individual sections, the portion of the conveyor where the drive chain is situated soon becomes inefficient in operation and requires replacement or repair. This is especially true since upon articulation of the individual conveyor sections, the abutting ends may be placed at an angle with respect to one another so that excessive force and friction are exerted more at one conveyor side than the other. If at the same time the drive chain must pass therealong such drive chain may rub along the apex formed between the abutting end portions of adjacent conveyor sections which will, by reason of the tortuous disposition of the conveyor, be at an angle with respect to one another. This will cause pronounced wear at the end Wall portion of the conveyor section in question so that eventually appropriate parts of the conveyor section must be replaced or the sect-ion itself discarded.

With specific reference to the individual conveyor sections, these generally include a pair of longitudinally extending side walls interconnected at mid-height by a common central plate to form above such central plate a conveyor trough. A single scraper chain or a double scraper chain arrangement may be used with the upper chain strand extending along the upper side of the central plate and the lower chain strand extending along the under-side thereof. The ends of the scraper chain will be looped over appropriate drive drum means to turn the chain. Such scraper chains include transverse scraper bars in parallel spaced apart disposition along the length of the chain and such scraper bars driven by the chain carry along mineral deposited in. the trough by the mining machine or the like, whereby such mineral is removed from the site of mining operations. While a single chain scraper conveyor has found application especially in connection with mining conveyors shaped to conduct extracted mineral thereon along a pronouncedly curved path, it is more common to use a double chain scraper conveyor in which the scraper bars spaced therealong are attached to one scraper chain strand on one side of the trough and to the other scraper chain strand on the opposite side of the trough, such strands being thus parallel to one another and moving along the sides of the trough whereupon the respective lower strands are conducted from the appropriate drive drums or wheels along the underside of the central plate in spaced apart parallel disposition in the known manner. Indeed, the double chain scraper conveyor may not execute the pronounced curvature of the path of the trough which is possible with the single chain scraper conveyor since both ends of a given scraper bar are connected to chains and since the individual. scraper bars must therefore be maintained substantially parallel to one another in any position of the conveyor. Nevertheless, the double chain scraper conveyor may still execute undulating movements and may be disposed in uneven disposition in consequence of unevenness in the mine floor while still operating properly to conduct mineral deposited on the trough away from the mine site. Such a conveyor section further includes a backing plate or bounce plate attached to the side of the conveyor remote from the mine face side, which plate extends upwardly beyond the upper edge of the adjacent conveyor side wall. Thus, mineral deposited onto the conveyor will be retained thereon without overshooting or overrunning the conveyor path as might occur were such bounce plate omitted. Outwardly beyond such bounce plate, especially where the conveyor arrangement is to be used with a mining machine, such as a mining planer, connected to its drive chain at the side of the conveyor remote from the mine face, spacer means are disposed intermediate the upper and lower portions of the bounce plate and an elongated hood or cover plate is situated over such spacer means so as to form with such spacer means and the appropriate portion of the bounce plate a pair of superimposed channels along which the drive chain for the mining machine may be slideably disposed. Usually, a slit is provided in the construction noted to permit the extension of the mining machine connection into the path of one of the strands of the drive chain for attachment thereto. Accordingly, as the drive chain travels along the appropriate upper channel or lower channel divided by the spacer means against which the upper and lower strands of such drive chain may slide, the mining machine connected therewith will be appropriately conducted in turn along its desired path in engagement with the mine face. Naturally, pronounced wear will occur at the ends of the conveyor section along the bounce plate part thereof, especially where one section is at an angle with respect to the other whereby to form an apex between adjacent bounce plate edges which must receive the excessive rubbing forces of the appropriate drive chain portions traveling therealong.

Despite previous use of spacer means rounded in concave form to assure passage of the drive chain strands with as little friction as possible, by the very nature of the articulated predisposition of the conveyor sections indigenous to efficient mining operations, excessive wear will occur at the 'bounce plate edges. Any attempt to offset this wear by constructing the bounce plate as well as the, spacer means of high-grade steel or the like, will result in higher capital expenditures. On the other hand, using the less expensive metal parts normally provided, upon such wear, the entire conveyor section must be dismantled, including not only the cover plate and spacer means, but also the bounce plate, whereby additional time and effort are necessary and an entirely new bounce plate must be provided each time.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing drawbacks and to provide a mining conveyor arrangement with easily replaceable parts. It is another object of the present invention to provide improvements in a longitudinal mining conveyor section arrangement having drive chain spacer means coupled with conveyor section end abutment means which may be easily replaced without dismantling the entirety of the arrangement and especially without replacing the entirety of the constructional parts heretofore practiced in the case of wear of such parts.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such an improvement in a mining conveyor section arrangement in which the spacer means are provided at the ends of the individual conveyor section and possess therewith an appropriate plate portion which serves to protect against excessive wear at the corresponding end of the conveyor section, the spacer means and plate portion being constructed of hard, durable, wear-resistant material, normally beyond that of the remaining parts of the conveyor section, such that replacement of only the spacer means and plate portion combination need be undertaken without also replacing the entirety of the bounce plate or other constructional parts.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the within specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

The figure shown illustrates schematically a prospective exploded partial View of a mining conveyor section containing a modified bounce plate, end-positioned spacer means with accompanying plate portion and hood, whereby to provide not only the desired channels for the drive chain strands but also appropriate readily replaceable parts of high wear-resistance, which may be so replaced with a minimum of effort and expense and with a maximum usage of other adjacent parts which heretofore would have had to have been replaced upon wear of the replaceable parts in accordance with the invention.

It has been found in accordance with the present invention that an improvement in a longitudinal mining conveyor section arrangement having laterally, in turn, a side Wall, a backing plate or bounce plate, spacer means and a cover plate, whereby to form a pair of superimposed guide channels along a corresponding lateral side of such conveyor section for displaceably receiving within said channels upper and lower drive cable or chain means adapted to be attached to a mining machine for conducting such machine adjacent the conveyor section arrangement longitudinally back and forth along a mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom, may be provided.

In this connection, the improvement of the invention comprises such spacer means including a pair of replaceable spacer members each having a spacer element connected thereto to form a corresponding unit therewith, the spacer members and spacer elements in the form of such units being correspondingly replaceably positioned at the longitudinal ends of such backing plate adjust the path of such cable means or bounce plate with each said spacer element disposed thereat for abutment with a corresponding longitudinal end of an adjacently disposed conveyor section and at least in part for guiding contact with the corresponding cable means. In this way, a corresponding worn spacer member and spacer element may be replaced advantageously without replacing the backing plate or bounce plate or other parts indigenous to the conveyor section arrangement.

In accordance with one particular embodiment of the invention, the spacer elements are in the form of spacer plates and the backing plate is provided at each end thereof with a corresponding spacer plate recess extending inwardly from the corresponding end of the backing plate. Thus, the spacer plates may conform substantially to the shape of the corresponding spacer plate recess of the backing plate, of course with the spacer members and spacer plates being correspondingly replaceably positioned at the ends of the backing plate such that the spacer plates occupy said recesses.

More particularly, the corresponding spacer plate and spacer member are preferably staggered longitudinally with respect to one another to provide partial longitudinal overlap therebetween. The overlapping portion of the spacer plate is situated with respect to the corresponding spacer member on that surface of the spacer member which faces the backing plate, and with the remainder of the spacer member surface disposed closely adjacent the backing plate thereat.

Significantly, in accordance with a particular feature of the invention, the corresponding backing plate recess has a depth at least as great as the thickness of the corresponding spacer plate, whereby the remainder of the spacer member surface not in overlapping disposition with the spacer plate is disposed in substantially abutting contact with the backing plate thereat. The spacer plate is thus received substantially completely within the depth of the corresponding backing plate recess.

In regard to a further preferred feature of the invention, the corresponding backing plate recess amounts in depth to the thickness of the backing plate thereat whereby such recess extends not only inwardly from the corresponding end of the backing plate but also from one longitudinal surface of the backing plate to the other. Thus, a recess aperture is defined thereby in the corresponding end of the backing plate. Preferably, the recess aperture is rectangular in shape and the corresponding spacer plate is also rectangular in shape whereby the spacer plate conforms substantially to the shape of the recess aperture.

The thickness of the corresponding spacer plate in connection with one preferred constructional feature of the invention corresponds substantially to the thickness of the corresponding end of the backing plate, whereby the spacer plate is received substantially completely within the depth of the corresponding recess aperture.

Advantageously, the corresponding spacer member and spacer plate are preferably integrally formed, and of course the spacer members and spacer plates may be made of more wear-resistant material than the backing plate.

In accordance with a given overall preferred embodiment of the invention, the conveyor section arrangement includes another side wall in addition to the first-mentioned side wall and a center plate, the side walls being disposed parallel to one another and the center plate being situated therebetween at mid-height thereof to form an upper conveyor trough therein, the conveyor thereby having a substantially H-shaped cross section. The backing plate is situated in abutment with the first-mentioned side wall and extends upwardly beyond the upper end of such side wall whereby to form an overflow backstop for mineral deposited on to the conveyor trough. Also, the cover plate has a substantially U-shaped cross section with the lateral edges thereof extending transversely toward the backing plate and with the spacer means spacing the cover plate from the backing plate. Furthermore, common fastening means extending through the backing plate and the spacer means from the first-mentioned side wall are provided for fastening the cover plate, the spacer means and the backing plate, in turn, to the first-mentioned side wall. Such construction provides an easily articulatable conveyor section arrangement which may be used in conjunction with the extraction of mineral from a mine face with a mining machine conducted by guide means along the conveyor with a minimum of wear on the end abutment portions of the conveyor sections, especially those adjacent the drive chain, and with ready replacement of worn parts with a minimum of effort and expense in time, material, manpower and capital.

Referring to the drawing, the figure shows in exploded disposition the appropriate parts utilized on a side wall of a mining conveyor section to house the drive chain for the mining machine in connection with which the mining conveyor is used. The side wall 1 which is remote from the mine face is used together with side wall 1' (shown in phantom) which is adapted to be disposed adjacent to the mine face to form a mining conveyor section with the central plate 2 (also shown in phantom) being connected therebetween at mid-height thereof, so as to provide an upper trough for the conveyance of mineral deposited thereon from the site of mining operations. Such construction is well-known as may be appreciated from US. Patents 2,702,697 and 2,943,728 alluded to hereinabove. The remote side wall 1 is provided with end connection means 3 and 4 whereby to articulatingly connect the appropriate ends of the conveyor section to the next adjacent conveyor section in the well-known manner. The side wall 1 is provided with a V-shaped channel 5 intermediate the upper and lower fiat vertical wall portions 6 and 7 respectively. The channel 5 is provided with seating means 8 secured thereto for the connecting bolts 9 which extend outwardly therefrom in a direction remote from the mine face side of the conveyor section. A backing plate or bounce plate 10 is appropriately provided with openings 11 defined therethrough as well as end recesses or recess apertures 12, preferably in rectangular form. Bounce plate is dimensioned such that the upper edge thereof extends significantly beyond the upper edge of the upper wall portion 6 of side wall 1 whereby to retain in the known manner mineral deposited on to the trough defined between the upper wall portions of the side walls of the conveyor section and the central plate extending therebetween. In this way, mineral which would overshoot or overrun the conveyor trough is retained in the desired manner because of the presence of the upwardly extending backing plate or bounce plate 10. Bounce plate 10 is normally disposed in abutting disposition with the wall portions 6 and 7 of side wall 1 whereupon the spacer means in the form of spacer members 13 may be disposed transversely outwardly thereof in a direction away from the mine face and adjacent the longitudinal ends of bounce plate 10. For purposes of attachment, spacer members 13 are provided with openings 14 defined therethrough to accommodate the connecting bolts 9. The cover plate or hood 15 is mounted over the spacer members 13 by receiving hood 15 on the connecting bolts 9 via the appropriately positioned openings 17 defined through the hood 15. Conveniently, lugs 16 are disposed along the upper edge portion of hood 15 to engage connectively the bounce plate 10 in the known manner for a reinforced attachment of hood 15 in the desired manner without undesired displacement of the upper and lower laterally extending free ends 18 and 19 thereof. Cover plate or hood 15 is preferably shaped in the form of an open channel plate having a channel 20, i.e., having a U-shaped cross section, such that when hood 15 is mounted on spacer members 13 with lugs 16 connected to bounce plate 10, utilizing the bolts 9 for this purpose (with appropriate nuts or other connecting means, not shown, being disposed on the free ends of connecting bolts 9 to assure proper mounting of the hood, spacer members and bounce plate on the remote side wall 1 of the conveyor), a pair of sub-channels are provided under hood 15 divided by spacer members 13 wherein the drive chain may be accommodated. The spacer members 1 3 are provided along their upper and lower sides with concave surfaces 21 and 22, respectively, for accommodating thereat in sliding disposition with a minimum of friction the upper and lower strands 23 and 24. respectively of the drive chain 25. Thus, the drive chain may be looped at its ends over appropriate drive drums or sprocket wheels (not shown) in the aforesaid manner so that the drive chain 25 may travel along the sub-channels within channel 20 of hood 15 for driving the mining machine (not shown) in connection with which the arrangement is used.

Heretofore upon compressive forces being exerted on the ends of the conveyor sections by reason of the articulated disposition of the conveyor sections, the presence of scraper chains and the presence of a drive chain for the mining machine, excessive wear at the ends of the conveyor sections, especially on the bounce plate or backing plate resulted in the frequent replacement of the bounce plate in its entirety as well as other appropriate parts.

In accordance with the improvement of the present invention specifically, attached to the spacer members 13 is a conjunctive spacer element 27 in each instance hav ing an outer edge 28 longitudinally disposed to abut the corresponding edge of the next adjacent conveyor section part. For accommodating the spacer element to the configuration of the appropriate portion of side wall 1 thereat, recess 29 is provided conforming to the configuration of end connection means 3 or 4 as the case may be, an opening 30 being provided therebehind to permit the passage of a connecting bolt or other means (not shown) through end connection means 3 or 4 and an appropriate seating means on the next adjacent conveyor section, whereby to achieve the articulated interconnection desired.

Significantly, the under-side 26 of each spacer member 13 overlaps with a portion of the surface of spacer element 27 and spacer element 27 is dimensioned to be received within the appropriate recess 12 of the bounce plate 10. The remainder of the under-side surface 26 of the spacer members 13 may thus be placed in close adjacency to the appropriate surface portion of bounce plate 19, for example, with each spacer member 13 being in abutment at its under-side 26 with the bounce plate 10 and with the appropriate spacer element 27 fitting within the corresponding recess 12 of bounce plate 11 to achieve a close fit of the parts, yet permitting slight play as between the spacer element 27 and the recess 12 to allow for replacement parts of slightly different dimensions. The replacement parts in this instance comprise the appropriate spacer member 13 and spacer element 27 connected thereto. These parts are preferably integrally connected and composed of the same hard, durable, wearresistant material, i.e., more wear-resistant than the material of which the bounce plate 10 is composed so that excessive rubbing of the adjacent drive chain 25 at the ends 28 of the spacer elements 27 will be suitably accommodated without excessive wear thereat. Nevertheless, upon prolonged use when such wear becomes evident, the combined spacer member and spacer elements may be simply replaced by a new combined spacer member and spacer element at a minimum of expense and trouble.

Indeed, in accordance with the present invention, a construction is provided which permits each combined spacer member and spacer element to be replaced as needed without the necessity of replacing both at the same time and/ or also replacing the backing plate therewith.

As the exploded view illustrates, the parts are carried by the bolts 9 in a simple manner and replacement of the spacer members with their appropriate spacer elements is achieved by merely removing the cover plate 15 to expose the spacer members and spacer elements, whereupon the appropriate Spacer member with its spacer element may he slid off the bolts 9 and replaced by a new spacer member and spacer element. The cover plate or hood 15 may thereafter merely be mounted once again on the bolts 9 and nuts or other means added for the desired final connection of the parts.

It will be appreciated that the free end or lower edge 19 of cover plate 15 in the embodiment shown is spaced from the bottom edge of bounce plate 10 sufliciently to permit a connecting means for the mining machine to extend therethrough for connecting the same to the appropriate strand of drive chain 25. While in this embodiment, the connection with the mining machine will be via the lower strand 24 adjacent the free end 19 of cover plate 15, it will be appreciated that depending upon the mining machine used and the disposition of the connecting means between the mining machine and the drive chain, other appropriate connection to the drive chain may be utilized, for instance, connection to the upper strand 23 of such drive chain. In that case, of course, the free end 18 of cover plate 15 would have to be spaced from the appropriate surface of bounce plate 10 to permit such connection to extend therethrough or a different form of cover plate would be necessary whereby to permit the mining machine connecting means to be attached to the appropriate chain strand member for longitudinal directional movement of the mining machine along the conveyor arrangement.

As the artisan will appreciate, the drive chain may be provided along the side of the conveyor adjacent the mine face and in such instance the connecting means between the mining machine and the drive chain need not extend as a keel or similar construction under the conveyor or via an arch member overlying the conveyor to the appropriate chain strand at the remote side of such conveyor, but rather the connecting means may extend directly from the mining machine to the immediately adjacent drive chain thereat. Other appropriate constructions are known in which the drive chain may extend in part along one side of the conveyor while one or both strands may traverse the width of the conveyor, usually at an angle thereto, to reach the other side and in such instances a construction such as that shown in the present invention may be used in part on one conveyor side, or on both conveyor sides, whereby to accommodate in the desired manner the drive chain for the mining machine or even for other equipment in connection with which the arrangement is used, with a minimum of wear on the parts in question and with ready replacement of the parts normally exposed to excessive wear with a minimum of effort and expense with corresponding parts. The replaceable parts, of course, should be made from highly wearresistant material, usually more wear-resistant than the remainder of the parts of the particular conveyor section, so that the excessive friction to which such parts are exposed may be suitably accommodated over longer periods of time at less capital expenditure initially and in connection with replacement.

As the artisan will appreciate, using the particular construction shown in the drawing, the mining machine such as a mining planer with a rearwardly extending keel or sword plate, passes along the conveyor sections in abutment with the side wall thereof adjacent the mine face and with the keel underlying the conveyor whereupon each conveyor section is raised slightly as the keel passes therebeneath. This causes articulation of the conveyor sections in a vertical direction as does the unevenness of the mine floor, in addition to the horizontal articulation caused by movement of the conveyor sections in undulating matter progressively toward newly-exposed pOrtiOns of the mine face, whereby the end portions of the conveyor sections are subjected to excessive forces and wear. This wear is separate from the wear of the bounce plate caused by the frictional passage of the mining machine drive chain therealong when such articulation occurs and while the side walls of the conveyor sections may be constructed of sufiiciently durable material to withstand the forces thereon, since these parts do not come into rubbing contact with the drive chain in the manner in which the ends of the bounce plate normally do, the wear thereon will not be as great as that which occurs on the bounce plate ends. Because of the provision of the spacer members and their staggered spacer elements which fit within the end recesses of the bounce plate, such rubbing wear is offset and even so, end forces on the conveyor sections will be accommodated to a better extent by the wear resistance of the spacer element material than would be the case if a conventional backing plate of usual material were used instead.

As an added feature of the invention, the ends of the spacer members 13 are provided with concave surfaces which together with the concave surfaces 21 and 22 serve to minimize as far as possible any resistance of the spacer members to the chain links passing therealong.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacer elements 27 are in the form of a flat plate having a wall thickness corresponding to that of the bounce plate 10 and thus the spacer element is staggered laterally with respect to the appropriate spacer member to provide for the accommodation not only of the spacer element within the end recess or recess aperture of the bounce plate, but also the abutment of the underside of the spacer member (not in overlapping disposition with the spacer element) with the appropriate surface of the bounce plate. Of course, as the artisan will appreciate, the recess 12 of the bounce plate need not extend all the way through the bounce plate but may be a shallow recess sufficient to receive therein the spacer element 27, i.e., where the thickness of the spacer element is less than that of the bounce plate, yet where the recess of the bounce plate is at least as thick as the thickness of the spacer element. Since the major wear will be found on the surface portion of the spacer element 27 adjacent the appropriate chain strand, surface protection will be achieved. Nevertheless, understandably it is preferred that the spacer element have at least the same thickness as that of the bounce plate although the thickness of the spacer element in any case should not exceed substantially that of the bounce plate since this would involve needless wear and friction along the medial vertical edge of the spacer element in rubbing contact with the chain links of the appropriate chain strand.

Conveniently where each of the appropriate conveyor sections is provided with a replaceable spacer member and spacer element, the appropriate end faces 28 will rest against one another and due to the wear-resistance of the material of which these replaceable parts are made, any wear normally occuring at the junction between adjacent conveyor sections will be reduced and taken up by those parts which are easily replaceable and which may be produced in a simple manner. Therefore, costly repairs of the conveyor parts are avoided and due to the use of the same wear-resistant material for the spacer members and the spacer elements, replacement of these conjunctive parts will be required only after very long periods of active operation. Preferably, these conjunctive parts are provided in the form of an integral casting of the same wear-resistant material so that the need for auxiliary connection therebetween is obviated and possible misalignment therebetween as well.

In the instance where the recess or recess aperture of the backing plate or bounce plate extends entirely through the thickness of such bounce plate, of course, the thickness of the spacer element will normally be such that the under-side of such spacer element which faces away from the appropriate spacer member will abuttingly engage the corresponding portion of the side wall thereat. As the artisan will appreciate, while variations in thickness of the aforementioned parts may be utilized as well as differences in dimension and shape of the parts, the closer the fit of the parts the closer will be the ultimate in tightness, stability, freedom from vibration, buckling, etc. Nevertheless, a certain play should be permitted between the appropriate recess of the bounce plate and the spacer element situated thereat to permit ready replacement with a spacer element having a slightly different configuration. On the other hand, the spacer elements should be sufiiciently close in configuration to the outline of the recess of the bounce plate that when received in such recess, abutment between the bounce plate and the spacer element will be sufficient to prevent rotation or twisting of the spacer element, especially with respect to an axis extending in a direction transverse to the: longitudinal direction of the conveyor.

It will be appreciated that the inst-ant specification and drawings are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a longitudinal mining conveyor section arrangement having laterally, in turn, a side wall, a backing plate, spacer means and a cover plate whereby to form a pair of superimposed guide channels along a corresponding lateral side of such conveyor section for displaceably receiving within said channels upper and lower drive cable means adapted to be attached to a mining machine for conducting such machine adjacent the conveyor section arrangement longitudinally back and forth along a mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom, the improvement which comprises such spacer means including a pair of replaceable spacer members each having a spacer element connected thereto to form a corresponding unit therewith, said spacer members and spacer elements in the form of such units being correspondingly replaceably positioned at the longitudinal ends of such backing plate adjacent the path of such cable means with each said spacer element disposed thereat for abutment with a corresponding longitudinal end of an adjacently disposed conveyor section and at least in part for guiding contact with the corresponding cable means, whereby a corresponding Worn spacer element and spacer member may be replaced without replacing such backing plate.

2. Improvement according to claim 1 wherein said spacer elements are spacer plates, said backing plate is provided at each end thereof with a corresponding spacer plate recess extending inwardly from the corresponding end of said backing plate and said spacer plates conform substantially to the shape of the corresponding spacer plate recess of said backing plate, said spacer members and spacer plates being correspondingly replaceably positioned at the ends of said backing plate with said spacer plates occupying said recesses.

3. Improvement according to claim 2 wherein the corresponding spacer plate and spacer member are staggered longitudinally with respect to one another to provide H partial longitudinal overlap therebetween, the overlapping portion of the spacer plate being situated with respect to the corresponding spacer member on that surface of such spacer member facing said backing plate with the remainder of said spacer member surface being disposed closely adjacent said backing plate thereat.

4. Improvement according to claim 3 wherein the corresponding backing plate recess has a depth at least as great as the thickness of the corresponding spacer plate, whereby said remainder of said spacer member surface is disposed in substantially abutting contact with said backing plate thereat and said spacer plate is received substantially completely within the depth of the corresponding backing plate recess.

5. Improvement according to claim 4 wherein the corresponding backing pla'te recess amounts in depth to the thickness of the backing plate thereat, whereby said recess extends not only inwardly from the corresponding end of said backing plate but also from one longitudinal surface of said backing plate to the other defining a recess aperture thereby in the corresponding end of said backing plate.

6. Improvement according to claim 5 wherein said recess aperture is rectangular in shape and the corresponding spacer plate is also rectangular in shape, whereby said spacer plate conforms substantially to the shape of said recess aperture.

stantially to the thickness of the corresponding end of the backing plate, whereby said spacer plate is received substantially completely within the depth of the corresponding recess aperture.

8. Improvement according to claim 3 wherein the corresponding spacer member and spacer plate are integrally formed of the same material.

9. Improvement according to claim 3 wherein said spacer members and spacer plates are made of more wearresistant material than said backing plate.

Iii. Improvement according to claim 9 wherein said conveyor section arrangement includes another side wall in addition to said first-mentioned side Wall and a center plate, said side walls being disposed parallel to one another and said center plate being situated therebetween at mid-height thereof to form an upper conveyor trough. therein, said conveyor thereby having a substantially H- shaped cross-section, wherein said backing plate is situated in abutment with said first-mentioned side wall and extends upwardly beyond the upper end of such side wall whereby to form an overflow backstop for mineral deposited onto said conveyor trough, wherein said cover plate has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with the lateral edges thereof extending transversely toward said backing plate and with said spacer means spacing said cover plate from said backing plate, and wherein common fastening means extending through said backing plate and said spacer means from said first-mentioned side wall to said cover plate are provided for fastening said cover plate, said spacer means and said backing plate, in turn, to said first-mentioned side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,790,539 4/1957 Duncan l98-204 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,328,624 4/1963 France.

923,307 4/ 1963 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

